Ocean scientists have asked the international community to develop responsible research guidelines for deep sea vents, which are among the world’s most extreme ecosystems, but which are being studied more frequently and could be damaged by human activities.
“Although the ocean is vast and the sea deep, human impacts now reach all corners of the planet, and we must understand what we are impacting as well as the possible consequences,” said Chuck Fisher of Penn State University.
Fisher and colleagues spoke at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting on behalf of InterRidge, an international organization of 27 member countries concerned with deep ocean ridge areas.
“We want to make a clear statement about why vent research is important, how the scientists are going about it, and what they are doing to learn as much about the planet as they can without harming it,” said Colin Devey, chairman of InterRidge.
Scientists first discovered undersea hot springs, also known as hydrothermal vents, nearly 30 years ago. The vents are found along the ocean ridge, a 40,000-mile chain of underwater mountains that runs across much of the planet’s seafloor. The volcanically charged vents spew super-hot, mineral-rich water that helps support exotic communities of animals and microbes.
Scientists have discussed issues surrounding research practices in vent areas since the late 1990s, but now that improved exploration and visualization technology is available, the vents and the habitats they create have reached the scientific, public, and political limelight.
“The increasing use of high-bandwidth imagery of the seafloor is making vent ecosystems more ‘real’ to the public than ever before,” said Edward T. Baker, a supervisory oceanographer at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. “If mining of hydrothermal deposits becomes profitable, the public will need, and I hope will demand, to become more aware of what is happening on their seafloor,” he said.
Several vent areas already have been studied for their potential as mineral resources, and prospective mining work currently is taking place in vents located in the south Pacific. Environment and policy discussions regarding deep-sea conservation and management now involve scientists, conservation groups, industry groups, international and national government authorities and even some tourism concerns. A handful of vent sites already have been designated marine protected areas, which are analogous to national parks on land.
“It is a concern that citizens already are touring the Titanic and some Atlantic vent sites with deep-diving submersibles,” said Steve Scott, a geology professor at the University of Toronto. “When Yellowstone Park – which features geothermal geysers analogous to deep-sea vents – was established in the mid-1800s, no ordinary person could get there because it was a four-day trip by horse from the nearest rail line, but roughly 3 million visited Yellowstone last year,” he said.
“The InterRidge statement of commitment is a case of ‘science meets policy’,” Devey said. “There has been a fundamental change in the public’s interest in the oceans and in how the oceans are treated. Scientists have realized in the last few years that although they always have been careful with the marine objects they study, it is not enough. It’s time for members of the science community to come out and stand up for what they believe and to fulfill their role as experts.”
